Keneally and Roozendaal tread tightrope

“You’re a lying clown,
Keneally
, and you’re a disgrace," a heckler cried, before ejecting himself from the upper house inquiry into the state’s multibillion-dollar power privatisation.

It was an apt remark in a hearing that at times ran the risk of devolving into a circus, with accusations that the Premier had indulged in the “frippery" of an Oprah taping as the sale [almost] fell over, and the Treasurer was posturing “for a future job" outside the hallowed halls of NSW Parliament.

Kristina Keneally said her sojourn to a taping with the US talk-show queen was cut short by an incident on the F3 freeway, leaving her with minutes to hear that the deal was teetering on the brink of collapse back at the Macquarie Street ranch at around 5.45pm on December 14.

As for
Eric Roozendaal
, he was hurt by “outrageous" claims that orchestrating a power privatisation that had eluded some of the NSW Labor Party’s biggest hitters – including Bob Carr, Morris Iemma, Michael Costa and Joe Tripodi – might improve his post-election job prospects.

His accuser, Greens MP John Kaye, had “had a preoccupation with me for some time", Mr Roozendaal said.

Buzzwords abounded as the Premier and her Treasurer trod the inquiry tightrope: the government had exited the “risky business" of electricity generation; it had ensured its “solid gold triple-A credit rating".

Thankfully, there were some Labor Party Dorothy Dixers to deflect from more heated exchanges: “Downward pressure" would be exerted on power prices, the Treasurer said, and thanks for asking.Michaela Whitbourn